Back in 2016, Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett was sacked despite his side sitting seventh in the Championship table following a 2-1 win over Ipswich Town.
A shake up at boardroom level by Birmingham’s Chinese owners Trillion Trophy Asia prompted the axing of Rowett and later the appointment of Gianfranco Zola in an act that supporters were disgusted with.
your statement also said you are looking to the long term future yet you've hired a manager that hasn't stayed at a club for 2 years??
— joe taylor (@joetaylor198) December 14, 2016
good joke announce our real manager
— Jaiden Graham (@JaidenBcfc) December 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/m1ndspeak5truth/status/809114635890790400
you have no loyalty to the fans…. expect no loyalty back!!
— DAYMO (@damion1971) December 14, 2016
for the first time in my life I'm embarrassed to be a Blue nose
— Marc Suffolk (@MarcSuffolk1) December 14, 2016
Bring back Rowett
— Tom BCFC (@CheAdamsFC) December 14, 2016
– What an absolute joke. Crazy. Good luck Gary Rowett- you did a great job.
— Steve Cornfield (@sgc101) December 14, 2016
awful day for the club. This guy has a record of failure at every club he's managed. The rapport between the fans and club ruined.
— Phil Killarney (@PKillarney) December 14, 2016
And looking at Zola’s managerial record, it was not hard to see why the St. Andrew’s faithful were so unwelcoming to his arrival, which came at the expense of Rowett’s seat in the dugout.
While the 52-year-old, now Maurizio Sarri’s No.2 at Chelsea, had his good moments at West Ham and Watford, his time at both clubs ended in a very disappointing manner.
In the end, Zola had proven he was a manger incapable of offering stability and progression, making his appointment as Birmingham boss a bizarre one especially considering the path Rowett had the club on.
Nevertheless, it was a move that still took place, of course, though it is one Trillion Trophy Asia would go on to regret sanctioning.
After just four months in charge, Zola handed in his resignation following a string of poor results, making the hiring of the Italian a terrible decision.
